2026 Bencher By-Election Results (County of Vancouver and District of the Okanagan) – Derek LaCroix, KC and Jessica Saris elected

The September 2026 Bencher by-election results are now available and Derek LaCroix, KC has been elected as Bencher for the County of Vancouver and Jessica Saris as Bencher for the District of the Okanagan.

Derek LaCroix brings more than five decades of experience in law and a longstanding commitment to the health and well-being of the BC legal profession. He practised law for 18 years as Crown Counsel and as criminal defense counsel, then expanded his skills in business and counselling in Oregon where he was called to the Bar in 1995. In 1997, he built the Lawyers Assistance Program of BC and established himself as a respected leader in the legal, health care and recovery communities. He has served on committees with the Canadian Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Mental Health Task Force of the Law Society. He is also on several non-profit boards of societies dealing with addictions, education, and spirituality, and is a frequent presenter at seminars and workshops throughout the province.

Jessica Saris is Métis and currently practises with the Criminal Appeals and Special Prosecutions section of the BC Prosecution Service, where she specializes in commercial crime, regulatory, and oversight prosecutions throughout the province. She previously articled with the Legal Services Branch of the BC Ministry of Attorney General, focusing primarily on civil litigation. Before entering the legal profession, she was a mortgage broker and real estate agent. She was the first of her family to attend college, first obtaining a Management Certificate in Radio Broadcasting at BCIT before completing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, a Juris Doctor (JD) at the University of Ottawa, and a Master of Law (LLM) in Criminal Law and Procedure at York University. She is currently completing the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at the University of Victoria. She has previously sat on the board of directors of the Kelowna Métis Association as Vice President and for the past 4 years she has been a host to SD23 International School Students. 

Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Derek LaCroix, KC and Jessica Saris to the Law Society’s governing board of Benchers.